If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

I savoured my cold beer while relaxing and sitting alone in the shade of a beachside palapa in a small coastal town of southern Mexico. It was hot and humid. Everything seemed slow in the heat, the waves, the birds, the sun, ahh.. my beer.

The hotel - the only hotel in town - was nice enough and even had AC; yet, I stuck to the sheets all night and didn't get much sleep. I thought to myself, "...and this is the cool season.. how brutal."

It was a different world. Soon enough I befriended a local family and was invited to live with them. Their "house" had only one hose spigot and a well, you had to dump a bucket in the toilet to flush, a bucket on your head for a shower, and had no AC. But, it had a better location(on the beach), better food(they were fishermen), and.. ah.. several hammocks.

I'd wake every morning, help sweep up after the chickens, pick some coconuts, eat some fish, pull some water from the well, walk on the beach, and spend the afternoon in one of the families various hammocks floating on the ocean breeze and rocking to the sound of the waves.

A friend showed me his HH ULBA several years ago. I'd previously seen older HH products but wasn't impressed, but this time, the low weight, small size, and relative comfort compelled me. I've been using one for some years, and developing a replacement (to be described sometime soon).

Having a lean and bony body, I don't sleep well on hard surfaces. Comfort and the greatly increased range of possible pitching sites are the primary reasons that I use a hammock (rather than a comparatively small/lightweight ground shelter).

Newbie to hammocks and this site

Hi Guy's, Just found this site and was really happy to see all the useful info. I do alot of camping with my ATV. I have always carried a 2-4 man tent but it takes up alot of room. I was on a atv site and one of the guy's was talking about a trip he took and mentioned a Clark Hammock. He said after sleeping in it for a week on the trail he wasen't looking forward to sleeping in his bed when he got home because it was so comfortable. That made the light blub go off in my head and realized that a hammock was the perfect solution to my packing problem... So now I'm in the market for one. I would need at least a 3 season style. My stats are: 6'1" tall and 235lbs. Can someone steer me in the right direction so I don't waste alot of cash and find the right system my first time out. Thanks in advance for any help you can provide and also for such a great web site. I'm hooked now...

Nice avatar.
Too many options to list, just figure out what it is that YOU need and build from there. Everybody has their own opinion and what makes them happy.
$$$. That'll be the first thing, just wad it up and throw it out the window, this stuff is addictive.
Size. Most hammocks out there fit, some do run small, so research-up, and find whats good for you,-single, double-super mama.
With your weight and heigth, you should be comfortable in most commercially available 'mocks.
BUGS. Mosquito net is absolutely PRICELESS, nothing more miserable than trying to sleep while an angry horde of bugs devour your flesh. Do not skimp on bug protection.
Do you sew? or want to learn? Making your own is a great hobby and gives you the satisfaction of "I built that". Hammocks are simple and fun to build, IMO, and those that have walked before you are eager to share their knowledge. If not, Warbonnet is a great value, as is the Hennessey and Speer and Jrb. If I had to do it all over again,I would have bought one on-line. Lots of expenses and trips back and forth to the store.
Then the tarp, and suspension, and... the list goes on forever. Pick something cheap or find a loaner, too. Its not for everyone, these people here experimented with lots of failures to get what works for them. Most will never stop trying new stuff, counseling available. Start small, if you are not sure. E-bay and craigslist have quite a few options under 50-100 dollars. If you got the coin, buy something nice and if you don't like it , you can sell it here, quick.
Welcome to the Forum, keep your hands inside the vehicle at all times and enjoy the ride.

Years ago I stumbled into a hammock store at Pier 39 in San Francisco and brought home a mayan hammock that I set up inside and out. Best sleep ever! Didnt think about making it a full time bed despite having a bad back from construction work.

Used to be a wilderness instructor and did tent camping for a long time, always moaning in the morning. Started motorcycle camping and for the sake of going light, ended up with a bivy sack and a tarp. Mornings were still hard! Happened upon a hammock site- (before HF- I think it was Sgt Rocks) and the light bulb went off! Got a HH stock and have been using it ever since for camping trips (other than taking the bunkhouse camper/trailer with the wife- I need to convince her that hammock camping is what she needs to try). Yesterday on the moto camping site, one of the guys there posted this site and alas! I found the mother lode! My christmas list is beginning!